Trump Accuses Rod Rosenstein Of ‘Coup Attempt’

9:23 AM 02/18/2019 | Politics

Saagar Enjeti | White House Correspondent

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President Donald Trump agreed that alleged discussions of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein invoking the 25th Amendment in the days after the firing of former FBI Director James Comey constituted an illegal coup attempt in a Monday morning tweet.

“This was an illegal coup attempt on the President of the United States.” Dan Bongino on @foxandfriends True!

McCabe detailed two occasions in which Rosenstein raised the prospect of using the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office and even suggested that two cabinet officials would be willing to involve themselves in the scheme.

The deputy attorney general’s role now seems especially precarious with the entry of newly confirmed Attorney General Bill Barr into the Justice Department. An official familiar with the situation told The Daily Caller that Rosenstein’s departure could be nearly imminent from the Justice Department.

The 25th Amendment allows for the removal of the President of the United States if a majority of his Senate-confirmed cabinet believe he is no longer capable of discharging his duties while in office. Rosenstein’s discussion of wearing a wire and talk of the 25th Amendment was first reported by The New York Times in September 2018. (RELATED: Rosenstein Discussed Wearing A Wire In Meetings With Trump)

McCabe also alleges that Rosenstein suggested in a meeting that he would wear a wire into the Oval Office in meetings with Trump. The former FBI deputy director told “60 minutes” in an interview that he took Rosenstein’s suggestion so seriously that he brought the idea up to FBI lawyers who waved off his suggestion.

Rosenstein disputes McCabe’s recollection of events, saying, “The deputy attorney general never authorized any recording. . . . Nor was the deputy attorney general in a position to consider invoking the 25th Amendment.”

The original New York Times report of Rosenstein’s discussion of wearing a wire into the Oval Office and invoking the 25th Amendment nearly prompted his ouster in September 2018. Trump, however, appeared to accept Rosenstein’s explanation at that the report was exaggerated or not true, and the deputy attorney general was allowed to keep his job.

The president changed his tune on Twitter Monday morning, however, indicating he now believes the reports:

Wow, so many lies by now disgraced acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe. He was fired for lying, and now his story gets even more deranged. He and Rod Rosenstein, who was hired by Jeff Sessions (another beauty), look like they were planning a very illegal act, and got caught…..